UH Hilo Vulcans read Dr. Seuss books to East Hawaiʻi schoolchildren

An annual event, UH Hilo students and student-athletes spent time March 2 reading Dr. Seuss books to more than 2,300 elementary students at seven East Hawaiʻi schools.

Students and student-athletes read Dr. Seuss books to more than 2,300 elementary students at seven East Hawaiʻi schools.

Ninety University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students and student-athletes read Dr. Seuss books to more than 2,300 elementary students at seven East Hawaiʻi schools on March 2 as a part of the Dr. Seuss Read Across America Day.

“This is always one of my favorite days of the year,” says UH Hilo athletic director Patrick Guillen. “The keiki and our UHH student-athletes really enjoy this event. The smiles and interactions between both is very rewarding to see.”

The outreach was done in collaboration with the National Education Association’s 21st annual Dr. Seuss Read Across American program. All across the country, celebrities, athletes and teams visited schools and read Dr. Seuss books to children, on the legendary writer’s 114th birthday. Dr. Seuss wrote 46 books for children before passing away in 1991 at the age of 87. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Lifetime of Contribution to Children’s Literature.

The Vulcan athletic department partnered with Maile Boggeln, interim coordinator of UH Hilo Campus and Community Service, and Heather Simon, student assistant, to organize the event. The Campus and Community Service program has been participating in Read Across America for over 15 years.

This year, the number of readers and schoolchildren both increased. At each school, the UH Hilo athletes and students gave out book markers, pens, erasers and books.